Posted on 09/28/2016 11:37:56 AM PDT by BenLurkin
A popular Halloween attraction at Knott's Berry Farm and California's Great America was shutting down, officials announced Wednesday, after some took to social media calling the display "offensive" to those suffering from mental illness.
The virtual reality attraction, which essentially focuses on a story line about a possessed patient running wild in a hospital, consists of strapping parkgoers into a chair before they are given VR goggles. If the game becomes too intense for them, customers can press the "panic button."
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After receiving backlash from several mental health advocates and "loyal fans," park officials issued a statement saying the attraction has been removed.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc7.com ...
I don’t know whether to chuckle or cringe at your flag.
Of course, a boot in the arse and a shouted command to go jump in a lake would be fine as well.
soon to be known as Knotts Safe Spaces
Caving in to political correctness would have been totally against the nature of Walter Knott, the park's founder. However, the Knott family sold "the Farm" to a company called Cedar Fair, which owns many amusement parks around the country.
The Farm was at its best when it was owned by Walter and his wife Cordelia ran it. Walter Knott was a staunch conservative and from the 1950's to the 1970's gave substantial assistance to conservative causes including Goldwater's and Reagan's presidential and gubernatorial campains, respectively.
He also sponsored the Americanism Education League (AEL), which provided print and audiovisual materials for organizations that taught American values. The AEL was located inside a mockup of Independence Hall.
Unfortunately, the Knott kids didn't seem to be as interested in conservative causes as their father. They sold the Farm after running it for a couple decades.
In 1942, my mother had a job as a waitress at the Knott's Berry Farm Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Walter's wife Cordelia ran the restaurant ane was her boss. For several years, a picture of the restaurant's 1942 staff was posted at the entrance, so thousands of customers saw my mother's picture.
Even today, the chicken they serve at the restaurant is excellent. However, I like to think that it was best during the 1950's, when some of it came from my uncle's chicken rance in Anaheim (where Disneyland now stands) and later Olive Heights. Beck then, there were no fees for entrance and parking, but there was only the ghost town behind the restaurant.
I knew the history and the Knott family ties to conservative causes in OC, but didn’t realize they’d sold out to a national amusement park group.
Be careful what you invite into your home .. on your seemingly “harmless” little TV.
Don’t go on scary rides, if you can’t take scary rides.
What comes next? Dismantle the roller coasters?
Some of my best childhood memories are from Knotts berry farm back in the 50’s... I haven’t been back there since the early 60’s.
I have heard how much it has expanded since then... Wow! Do you know if they retained the old Indian village?
I have great memories of Knott’s.
It was a great place for a 12 year old. Those parachute baskets are seared into my memory. I grew up partly in El Toro, and we were poor. My mom let it be known that Knott’s was less expensive than Disneyland, and thus we went to Knott’s.
I took my family to SoCal last year, and noted the Knott’s bathrooms were not as clean as the Disney bathrooms.
I told my wife we JUST HAD TO get a chicken dinner, as it was an institution. Well, the restaurant reeked of rancid chicken grease, and the floor was sticky. VERY sticky. I read recently they are tearing that down and building a new one.
The things is, Knott’s is a part of Americana. It is the “last gasp of white America”. It gives an insight into an America that is no longer with us. It is not all slick like Disneyland, and I appreciate that.
And as a father of a 5 year old, you know what else I appreciate? Camp Snoopy.
How many idiots who imagine themselves to be vampires, zombies or witches will be insufferably offended come Halloween?
How many lawyers are salivating at the prospect of class action suits against costume and novelty companies and the retailers that sell their products?
My parents used to take me there more than sixty years ago. Boysenberry Pie!
And so we shall do all manner of evil things so that the big strong men won’t call us snowflakes any more.
Got it!
Nice job there, Pumpkin Head...
I bet they hate Pink Floyd.
Has anyone checked the mental health of those mental health advocates? The answer is obviously no.
The whole world now has to be run by some small sub-group that might be offended.
How did people make it into the 21st Century, with all these anal people who didn’t control things before?
“... strapping parkgoers into a chair before they are given VR goggles. If the game becomes too intense for them, customers can press the “panic button.”
So what could be THAT terrifying?
Michelle, Hillary and Roseanne VR stripping?
“possessed patient running wild in a hospital”
That was the movie “Halloween 2” which had the best scene of a whirlpool with Pamela Susan Shoop ever! : )
I grew up in West Whittier. We would usually go to Knotts on Friday night for dinner or on Saturday. Disneyland was for special occasions such as birthdays.
After a visit to Disneyland in August, 1959, my father complained at how expensive our visit had been—entry fee, rides, food and parking had cost our famuly of five $30!
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